Why Quarantine Isn’t the Easy Way Out to Getting a New Puppy

By Zack Lara, Staff Writer

// The COVID-19 pandemic stimulated a quarantine culture complete with trends, memes, and activities fit for isolation. Puppy adoptions joined the lineup as families scrambled to keep themselves engaged, but many turned their backs to one crucial detail: ordinary life will return, and with it, everyday responsibilities.

   The praise for puppies is everywhere. News networks seek relief from COVID-19 coverage in the humbling stories of neighborhood heroes who rescue dogs from shelters. Friends on Instagram flaunt adorable Labradoodles from the pound. Above all, shelters and friends alike maintain that now is the perfect time for pet adoption.

   The seemingly perfect solution to the monotony of isolation inspired families to buy into puppy adoptions, and the campaign gained overwhelming traction across the country.

   For the first time in years, the demand for puppies ran adoption centers empty. According to the Humane Society, the rate of pet adoptions increased by up to 90 percent in multiple cities throughout the U.S. That is fantastic news in many ways, but some underlying concerns stem from one crucial question: why now?

   The simple answer promises endless benefits to our current environment in isolation but veils alarming consequences. To illustrate where this is going, let us compare dogs to insurance coverage.

   Need the motivation to get outside? Dogs have got you covered. Need a reason to exercise? Dogs have your back. Need a quarantine pal? A dog will do it. Need something to lighten up your joyless social media? Dog selfies are here to help.

   Great! Here is the cure to your quarantine blues, but it is going to cost you. A dog will cost you every single day for the next seven to 18 years because you are going to have to feed your dog, walk your dog, and scoop poop for your dog far past the quarantine; and if you stop paying, your dog dies, and you lose your marvelous quarantine insurance.

   Most importantly, your new pal will require time, and similar to insurance, you must continue paying the toll to ensure your dog’s fitness, loneliness, and well-being are covered.

   Now, let us return to the question “why now?” If you are a ‘quarantine puppy’ owner, you may glance at this question and think that simply because you have unprecedented time at the moment, adopting a puppy is a great idea. 

   If you, ‘quarantine puppy’ owner and member of the working class, could not spare the commitment to a dog before quarantine, you will not have any more time than you did back then, or ever have, after returning to your everyday routine and responsibilities.